• Travis Hunter’s presence should increase Brian Thomas Jr.’s efficiency: Hunter will allow the team to use Thomas more in the slot and create a more complex offense.

• Mason Graham should finally be the defensive line presence to help Myles Garrett: Since 2018, the Browns have never had a player other than Garrett record double-digit sacks.

• Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Now that the 2025 NFL Draft’s rookies are in their NFL homes, we can dive into their surroundings. It’s not just about standing out on your own; football is a team game. So, which teammates of these rookies are we excited about when it comes to rookie-veteran partnerships? Here are eight that catch our eye.

WRs Travis Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Thomas amassed 1,284 receiving yards with 10 receiving touchdowns and an 82.4 PFF receiving grade in his rookie season. As he improved, the Jaguars were not hesitant to feed him more targets. But the team also didn’t have many other legitimate options to target.

With Travis Hunter in the fold, the Jaguars’ offense has new life. The team appears set to use Thomas in the slot more (288 slot snaps in 2024 compared to 611 out wide), and Hunter’s presence gives them that flexibility. 

DI Mason Graham and EDGE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

Garrett has long been one of the NFL’s most dominant and impactful players. He has recorded a PFF pass-rush grade above 90.0 in each of the past six seasons and totaled 3.41 Wins Above Replacement, the most of any edge player by almost a full win.

Yet, since 2018, the Browns have never had another player record double-digit sacks. Graham might not be a top-tier pass rusher yet, but he is a presence on the defensive line that at least should draw some attention away from Garrett. He earned an 86.8 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets in 2024 at Michigan.

DIs Walter Nolen and Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals

The ageless one, Campbell, will be 39 years old for the upcoming 2025 season. Even more impressive than his durability is his ability, as he has not finished a season with a PFF overall grade below 75.0 since 2011, including two straight seasons in the 80.0s over the past two years with 1,329 total snaps between them.

Nolen is a young, talented defensive lineman who broke out this past season at Ole Miss, earning a 91.6 PFF run-defense grade and an 80.6 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets.

Beyond the numbers, Campbell is a pro’s pro. Nolen can use this season to learn as much as possible from a player who knows what it takes to be consistently impactful on the defensive line.

The Buccaneers surprisingly drafted Egbuka at No. 19 in the first round, even with all of their offensive weapons in place.

Mike Evans, who will be 32 this season, just completed his 11th straight 1,000-yard season and earned the second-highest PFF receiving grade of his career (90.2) while doing so. Chris Godwin is coming off an injury, but the Buccaneers just brought him back on a three-year deal with guarantees that essentially lock him in for two seasons.

Rookie receiver Jalen McMillan earned a 63.0 PFF receiving grade this past season but showed promise. Egbuka, who boasted an 82.4 PFF receiving grade in 2024, only makes that group even better. Tampa Bay’s offense, which finished last season ranked in the top five in PFF grade (82.6), could be even better in 2025.

CBs Jahdae Barron and Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos

Barron was one of the top-graded cornerbacks in college football last season (91.1 PFF overall coverage grade and 91.5 zone PFF coverage grade). And that was in his first season as a full-time outside cornerback.

He’ll now be paired with Surtain, who was PFF’s Coverage Defender of the Year in 2024 after earning an 87.4 PFF coverage grade while allowing just 0.53 yards per cover snap. Barron also gives the Broncos the flexibility to play him in the slot, where he earned a 72.7 PFF coverage grade over the past two seasons.

Golden’s name being announced in Green Bay with a sea of Packers fans watching on was one of the highlights of draft weekend.

Quarterback Jordan Love has a good NFL arm but, through a combination of injury and inconsistencies in the receiver room, wasn’t able to connect on deep passes as much as Green Bay’s offense wanted to in 2024. Golden is the right piece to complement Jayden Reed, the tight ends, the run game and what Love wants to do.

The Texas product notched 438 receiving yards on deep throws this past season, which was a top-30 mark in the FBS. He earned an elite 92.8 PFF receiving grade on passes of more than 20 yards.

DBs Malaki Starks and Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

Mock drafts often pegged the Ravens to pick a trench player or maybe a cornerback. But they strayed from their biggest needs to take one of the most talented players in the class in safety Malaki Starks.

Starks now pairs with Hamilton, an extremely versatile player who earned PFF grades above 88.0 in all three defensive categories in 2024: run defense (89.2), pass rush (88.1) and coverage (88.4).

Starks’ 2024 grades weren’t career highs, but he showcased good versatility, playing more than 900 defensive snaps — 218 in the box, 280 in the slot and 408 as a free safety. Starks and Hamilton together give the Ravens a lot of flexibility on the back end. 

EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku and Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

The only pass rusher with a higher Wins Above Replacement number than Micah Parsons since 2021 is Myles Garrett. This past season, Parsons earned an elite 91.6 PFF pass-rush grade — somehow the worst mark of his four-year career.

That said, the Cowboys’ defensive line has been disappointing around him. In each of his seasons, Parsons has led Dallas in sacks by a wide margin. That might no longer be the case with Ezeiruaku in the mix. The three-year starter at Boston College racked up 43 tackles for loss with 27 sacks over the past three seasons, all while earning PFF run-defense grades above 80.0.